Trolley for electric railways



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(bio Model.)

- J. M. BEAMS.

TROLLBY FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

Patented Nov 5, 1889.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. M. BEAMS. TROLLEY FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. 'No, 414,583. Patented Nov. 5, 1889.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT FFICEQ JOSEPH M. BEAMS OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAFT ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

TROLLEY FOR ELECTRlC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,583, dated November 5, 1889.

Application filed March 7, 1889.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. BEAMS, of Meriden, in the State of Connecticut,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trolleys for Electric Railways, of which the following is a full, true, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a trolley or running contact-maker by which a continuous contact is made with two suspended cables, wires, or rods. In a general way such trolleys are well known.

i The object of my invention is to form one which will be more certain to remain upon the conductors than those previously made, and which will be simple and inexpensive.

In my invention I employ generally two rolling-wheel conductors and two spring insulators or wings, as will be readily seen from the drawings.

My invention will be readily understood from the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 represents a general elevation of my trolley with one of the rollers partly broken away; Fig. 2, a plan of the same 5 Fig. 3, an end view, partly in section; Fig. 4, adetail of a pivoted drag-connection, and Fig. 5 a plan View of a washer connected with the same.

My trolley consists, generally, of two vertical arms B B, generally of metal, pivoted to a wooden or insultating bridge-piece A, to which the. connections from the moving vehicle are carried, and by which bridgepiece A the entire trolley is drawn. Upon each of the arms B B is a roller or equivalent contact maker E. As shown, a deeplygrooved roller is employed. These rollers are preferably somewhat loosely pivoted upon the arms P P, so as to allow a certain amount of longitudinal play. They run upon two.

parallel conductors carrying the current. Opposite each trolley is a resilient wing D. As shown, such wing is of the general shape shown in Fig. 3, and is held in its outer position by a spring L, being pivoted to the.

Serial No. 802,313. (No model.)

arm B, as shown. This spring L, though tending to keep the wing in the position shown in Fig. 1, will allow it to bendin either direction.

The metallic conductors E are connected through their axes to flexible connections J,

as shown, and thence to the plates R, provided with openings H and suitable clamping-screw for maintaining electric connection with conductor J. The trolley itself is drawn by a wire or wires S, attached to the pivoted arm, as shown clearly in Fig. at, which is in metallic contact with the conductor J. This arm swings around the pivot or post N, and is held in electrical connection with the plate R by the spring-washer F, which is held down upon the post by a pin or other suitable contrivance. In this way the arm G can swing, and at the same time maintain electric connection.

The inner sides of the arms B are preferably insulated by insulating-faces T, suitably attached to these arms, so as to prevent their coming into electrical connection it by accident the arms B should tend to come in con tact with each other.

This trolley will accommodate itself to the inequalities of the wire and curves, and in practice does not run off the wires.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a trolley constructed to run upon two parallel conductors, of a roller upon an arm and a flexible insulating wing opposite said roller and adapted to bear against the other conductor, substantially as described. a

2. The combination, in a trolley, of the arms B 13, bridgepiece A, rollers E E, and insulating flexible resilient wings D D, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the pivoted arms B B, the bridge-piece A, and dragging contact-niaker G, connected with the piece A, itself pivoted upon post N and held in electrical connection with plat-e R by the spring washer F, substantially as described.

t4. The combination of the pivoted arms In testimony whereof I. have signed my 10 B B and bridge-piece A and insulating-face name to this specification in the presence of T, substantially as described. two subscribing witnesses.

5. The combination, in a trolley, of the 5 roller E, mounted upon arm B, and an insu- JOSEPH M. REAMS.

lated Wing D on the opposite side from the roller E and having its exterior face approxi- Witnesses: mately the arc of acirole, substantially as C. L. ROCKWELL, described. WALTER B. THOMPSON. 

